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PS Audio's Power Plant AC-regeneration devices have taken the audio and home-theater worlds by storm. The P300 was voted 2000 Accessory of the Year in <I>Stereophile</I> (December 2000), and the P600 won the Editors' Choice Platinum Award in <I>Stereophile Guide to Home Theater</I> (January 2001). The Power Plant differs from conventional power-line conditioners (PLCs) in that it doesn't just "clean up" AC but actually synthesizes (or regenerates) it. Each Power Plant is essentially a special-purpose amplifier, producing AC to run the equipment plugged into it, the maximum output wattage indicated by the model number. (The most powerful Power Plant available is the P1200, which produces 1200W.)

Polk Audio is the Rodney Dangerfield of high-end audio. Why <I>does</I> this conscientious, innovative, and well-organized company garner no respect from hard-to-please audiophiles?

When it's time to audition that new preamp, living in the big city with plenty of audio stores can be an advantage. But sometimes, no matter where you live, finding the products you want to consider before purchase can be a challenge.

Purported <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/news/11074/">financial difficulties</A> haven't prevented <A HREF="http://www.towerrecords.com">Tower Records</A> from developing a massive new flagship store in Los Angeles. Occupying more than 33,000 square feet, the new store in the renovated Sherman Oaks Galleria features a "state-of-the-art" performance stage and a Super Audio CD demonstration room.

Record label attempts at restricting the potential uses of their CDs have hit another bump in the antipiracy road. Music label BMG had announced earlier this year that it would try to find ways to restrict its CDs, in an effort to stem piracy and the trading of MP3 files. But those plans appear to have backfired, so far.

The economic downturn doesn't appear to be hurting <A HREF="http://www.tweeter.com">Tweeter Home Entertainment Group</A>.

Class&#233;'s Mike Viglas watched the audiophile skies, scratched his chin, and thought about his business. As he gazed, it occurred to him that if everyone in audio was moving downmarket to invade <I>his</I> territory, why not take his company and head <I>up</I>market? Thus was born Class&#233;'s much-lauded Omega series.